


Through Hacker's Eyes

by nautilus_8532



Category: Duskwood (Everbyte Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:34:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29283066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nautilus_8532/pseuds/nautilus_8532
Summary: A recount of the events in Duskwood through Jake's eyes.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 46





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RandomGirl313](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandomGirl313/gifts).



> This was requested to me by @RandomGirl313 through the comments section of my other fanfic, Into Duskwood. I thought about it a lot since a) I don't think I have enough creativity to write it and b) I figured it would be harder to write from Jake's perspective.
> 
> But here's my attempt in doing it. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update this, but definitely this will be updated every time a new episode from the game is released.
> 
> Thank you for reading and I'd love to hear from you!❤❤❤

Have you ever heard of the phrase “Be careful what you wish for”? Call it the universe conspiring against me, but that phrase aptly summarizes the situation I am currently in.

When I said I wanted something more out of my life, something more exciting, I didn’t mean this. But the universe, or The Force, or whatever you would like to call it, seems to have a twisted sense of humor that it had to make my situation worse.

To start off, I’m just a computer savvy individual that got himself in a mess with the government and now we’re playing hide and seek. I’m not a bad person - whatever you define that as. You can say that I just like fixing things. You know that cracks in your walls that you just can’t seem to ignore? Or that dripping faucet that annoys you? Yes, just like you, I have this strong urge to fix things. It’s just that, sometimes, in order to find out what’s wrong with them, you have to tear them apart to see the extent of the damage. Not that complicated, right?

But this story isn’t about me - it’s about my sister. My half-sister for that matter. Her name is Hannah Donfort. Not complicated enough? Keep reading.

When I learned about the existence of my half-sisters, my curiosity got the better of me and I thought of getting to know them. And so I did - with Hannah. Before you ask, I didn’t tell her who I really am. I don’t plan to entangle myself with more mess than I can deal with. We exchanged some e-mails, got to know each other better, until I realized that not telling her who I really am will create a bigger problem. She had developed feelings for me, which, in our current situation, is not only inappropriate, but also complicated. I gradually stopped sending her e-mails and we stopped communicating.

Until one day, she called me - asking for my help. For what I haven’t been able to figure out because she was abducted.

Yes, you read it right - she was abducted. Right in front of me - well, my screen, to be exact. We were talking and she was abducted. Her phone dropped and I couldn’t see a thing. I’ve never felt such panic in my whole life.

Complicated enough for you now?


	2. Chapter 2

The moment Hannah disappeared it’s like my mind went out the window in fear, too. I was too stunned to even think of the next move.

When I came back to my senses, I immediately created a group chat containing all of her closest friends. I know them because she had mentioned them in one of our conversations. One of them must be using his phone at the time, because he immediately sent a message. It was Thomas, Hannah’s boyfriend.

_Hello, stranger._

I immediately replied to the group chat.

**Hannah is in danger.**

It felt like an eternity before Thomas replied.

_Is this a bad joke?_

I fought the urge to punch him through my phone. Why would I be making a joke as grave as this?

He didn’t stop there. He sent me a litany of curses and threats that I almost replied to, but then I remembered I’m basically a fugitive wanted by the government. I should not even be texting them. But time is of the essence. They must find Hannah immediately.

I took my phone and recorded a message in this voice distortion app that I got from the internet and sent it to the group afterwards.

**Hannah! Something happened to Hannah. I saw it. I’m on your side, you have to trust me.**

That should do the trick. I hope they take me seriously now.

But no one replied. I waited patiently.

One hour.

Twenty four hours.

I realized I cannot just wait here and know nothing, so I did what I do best. I put a bug into their phones that are now connected to mine through the chat that I created, and now I’m privy to their private messages. To them it’s mindless chatter. In my hands they’re now information.

Forty-eight hours.

We were nearing seventy-two hours since her disappearance and still nothing was happening.

Complete silence.

Until a message registered into Thomas’ phone. It was Hannah.i almost fell off my chair in a hurry to see the message.

She sent a five-digit number, which I can only think of as a contact number.

I don’t understand it. Hannah is in a grave danger, and instead of calling for help, she chose to send his boyfriend a contact number. It’s not even a number I recognized from her contact list.

What’s going through your mind, Hannah?

I leaned on my seat, putting a hand over my mouth as I tried to understand Hannah’s motives. She must be somewhere that can still receive a signal, but she didn’t have enough time to write a more coherent message.

Is she being watched? Or was she moved to another location? It could’ve been a delayed message.

Something’s not right.

Thomas called Hannah’s number, but he dropped it after sometime. Maybe no one answered from Hannah’s end.

I took the number into a search string that will allow me to find connections between Hannah and the number.

**NO MATCH.**

The person who owns this number is not related to Hannah, at all.


	3. Chapter 3

I was woken up by the continuous ping on my monitor alerting me of incoming messages. I stood up from my seat, groaning as I stretched my strained back from having to fall asleep while sitting.

I look at my monitor and see Thomas sending a message to the unknown number. They’ve made their move. I watched with curiosity as they tried to wade through the conversation, unsure how to proceed.

Hannah’s friends are a curious bunch of characters - sometimes I wonder how she was able to make friends with them. But then again, I remember how Hannah described her sister to me and I realized it wasn’t really surprising how she managed.

_Who are you? How do you know my sister??_

See? Lilly’s no-nonsense attitude shines when it comes to these things.

_But YOU invited ME?_

I smirked as I read that. This one seems to be a fighter. Lilly might have met her match.

When the unknown person replied that they don’t know who Hannah is, I stopped reading their conversation and looked at my other monitor for other significant chatter. On the other hand, starting from Dan, each of them decided to leave the group conversation and that is understandable. They don’t know who they’re dealing with. It’s safer to leave the conversation.

But some of Hannah’s friends, especially Cleo, are persistent. The other one, Richy, decided to be friendly to the unknown number.

_Ms. X, please._

A woman? Interesting.

_Well_

_Hannah sent us your number_

_That’s got to mean something, right?_

_Shit, I don’t know_

I agree, Richy. This has to mean something.

_I know how weird this seems_

_It’s not easy for us either._

_I think it might really help if you stay_

Ah, here we are again. As much as I’m curious to find out who this woman is and how she’s related to Hannah, her getting involved in this affair will either open new problems or answers.

_I’ll do my best._

She decided to stay - I’m not sure if that was brave or stupid of her. Normal people would’ve cursed them already and told them to leave her alone.

An idea suddenly came into my mind - what if I let her in on a secret?

I typed hurriedly into my program and connected her number to the bug I made to read on the group's conversations. I’m curious to know what she will think of it. I waited until she finished her conversation with Thomas and after she read the conversation between Jessy and Dan.

**Well… How did you like it?**

She made no response. I raised an eyebrow at that. She replied easily when Thomas texted her, but she won’t do the same to me?

**Go ahead, admit it.**

**I made that possible for you.**

**Thanks to me you could read along.**

_That’s illegal!_

I chuckled at that. Oh, is it, Captain Obvious? That’s nothing. 

Deciding that I will not be able to convince her over a text message, I put my hoodie on, turned the voice distortion app and stood in front of the camera, then called her number.

**My identity is irrelevant. Let’s not waste time with the useless questions. I witnessed the abduction - this is all you need to know at the moment.**

**I’m in possession of passwords, e-mails. I have access to private accounts that will provide you with information that will help you to make sense of the situation. You might not always like what you find, but it’ll help to find Hannah.**

**Trust me.**

Trust me. I’ve said that too many times already it’s starting to sound unconvincing.

_Do you know how suspicious you are?_

She will not let this matter drop, will she?

After explaining to her that I’ll give her access to Hannah’s cloud and how she will have to decrypt it to be able to access them, I asked her to make sure that she sends the files to me.

_Will you also show me your findings?_

Quid pro quo. I like her already.

I decided to tell her the important ones. After all she isn’t aware of how much trouble she’s in, and I’m not going to let her be involved that deep. She’s in too much danger already when she formed an acquaintance with me.

**All this is between you and me.**

**Don’t tell anyone. I’m serious.**

Let’s see where this will take us both.


	4. Chapter 4

One of the few things a hacker needs is diligence, especially for a fugitive like me. That's why I start my mornings with my regular pursuer monitoring - seeing if I've left a digital footprint and making sure there are no weaknesses in my programs that my pursuers can use to track me. Then, I double check those programs just to be thorough. 

I was in the middle of coding something when I was interrupted with a message from her. A picture of Hannah in what seems to be a shower.

**Did you find this picture in Hannah's cloud?**

_It's def not from my private collection._

**Mh, doesn't look like it'll help a lot.**

_So, you got something more useful?_

She seems frustrated. Is it because the decryption of Hannah’s files takes time? But, in all honesty, I really don't have anything at hand, either. 

**Touché.**

**Just keep sending me what you can find, then we can sort through it.**

I would like to tell her to have more patience, but I don't want to start a fight this early in the day. And she seems the type to not back down in an argument.

I wished her good luck and returned my gaze back to the codes I am working on when another message from her popped up. 

_Wait, I want to talk to you._

I stared at that message, my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She wants to talk to me. I let that sink in before I replied. 

**Talk?**

**About what?**

_About you_ 😁

I know I read that clearly, but I still didn't understand it. Why would she want to talk to me? 

_You're interesting._

I smirked, remembering what I said to her last time. You have piqued my interest. Now she's throwing my words back at me.

Wasn't the hooded figure and distorted voice enough for her to see that I'm dangerous?

I stared at the space above my monitor before I replied.

**You're aware that I won't tell you anything about me, right?**

I asked that just to make sure I understand what she's trying to do. 

_You're not scared, are you?_

Ha! Between her and I, it should be her that needs to be scared. She's truly odd. Iwas about to reply when she followed it up with another message.

_I won't let up 😄_

She's persistent, I will tell you that.

**You have one question.**

And out of all things she could've asked, she wanted to know whether I live in a city or a rural area. Wise of her. But then again, divulging information about myself will only lead to more problems, so I gave her half the truth.

**In a city**

**… If ever there was one. Big, busy, anonymous.**

She followed it up with another question, and before I knew it, I'm explaining the benefits of anonymity.

_I will know your identity soon_. 

It was careless of me to be carried away with a simple question. And for her sake, not knowing my identity is the safest thing to do. 

**Well, are you happy now?**

_Yes, now it's your turn to pick a topic_

She really is something else. Most of the people I encounter are only interested in knowing about me and what I can do, but this one wants to volunteer information about her. Her mind confuses the things I know and expect about people. I'm intrigued. 

_Don't you wonder who I am?_

**You play a key role in all this mess.**

**Obviously I wonder who you are.**

This is not good. The more she makes me talk, the harder it is to keep things from her.

**I will go now.**

**Otherwise, I'll probably end up telling you my name or worse…**

_Thanks for talking_

**See you soon.**

I must've misjudged her. I think she understands what she's gotten herself into better than I thought. She knows that it's dangerous to associate with me, and yet she did anyway. She volunteered information about herself and thanked me for talking to her. I'm not sure whether I'm more amazed or more suspicious of her intentions. 

I saw her status change from online to offline and I stared at the screen, expecting her to go online again and ask me more questions.

I shook my head and told myself that this is just a distraction. Why would she be interested about me if not for the situation we're in now?

The code I was doing earlier lay unrevised on the screen. Why do I suddenly feel like putting this off for a little while? 

I scrolled back to the conversation we just had, a small smile forming on my lips.


	5. Chapter 5

After having breakfast, I went back to my table to continue working. On the other monitor, I saw her send two pictures - a pathwalk and a cat. I raised a quizzical brow at that. For someone who doesn’t have a background in programming, the way she decrypted those files from Hannah’s cloud so easily is amazing. It made me feel a bit optimistic. I guess the universe brought her to me because she will help me find Hannah. 

I wonder if I should trust her with more information. Looking at the conversations she had with Hannah's friends, it seems that one of them is missing - Dan. 

Sitting up straight on my chair, I started typing, noting her third discovery. She wondered and asked what kind of information I might be able to extract from a picture.

When they said "A picture paints a thousand words", they weren't wrong. These images can contain a lot of information that might help us - when and where they were taken, the day Hannah uploaded them in her cloud. The information is there, but I just need a little more time to extract it. After explaining this to her, I checked for Dan's number on the contact list.

**I have a lead for you.**

**ID 47013**

After giving her the number, I went offline and decided to go back to my work. I'm going to let her do her own thing with that. She seems capable enough to me. 

It didn't take long for her to send me a message.

_ Hey are you there?  _

**Yes.**

**Did you find anything out?**

_ Some idiot called and threatened me.  _

In most instances I would have laughed at her for calling someone an idiot, but to know that this caller threatened her seemed to bother me. Could it be that Hannah's kidnapper has found out about her?

**What did he say?**

_ That I should stay out of other people's affairs. _

  
  


My hunch is right - the kidnapper found out about her. But that cannot happen that easily. Only Hannah's friends know her number. If so, then it must mean that one of them had given it to the kidnapper or worse, one of them is the culprit.

**Hmmm.**

_ That's all you can say?  _

**Why, yes.**

**It is very good.**

_ Are you kidding me?  _

I don't understand why she would think that I'm joking. This is a positive incident. We might not have heard from Hannah again, but after three days of complete silence, her kidnapper made his first slip. I take it as a good sign because that means we're onto him. He's worried because of her - this unknown number is making moves to find him, and it didn't sit well with him.

We must dig deeper into this! 

  
  


**This is a great opportunity for us.**

_ I hope you are right.  _

**_You can't trust anyone in this group._ **

**_Not a single one!_ **

I'm glad that this led us to this moment - it's like a game of chess and we are playing the first move. We already have the advantage. We only need to put our chess pieces strategically to control the game.

However, there's this nagging feeling inside me that I'm putting her in a dangerous position. The kidnapper just threatened her, after all, and we don't know what he is capable of.

But then, I looked back at our conversation and realized she isn't that afraid of him. Not yet. Her text expressed her skepticism, but not her hesitation. She wants to pursue this, too. 

I was right about her - we're going to find Hannah, and she'll lead us to her. 


	6. Chapter 6

After the kidnapper's call to her, the reality of putting her in more danger than I thought possible sank into me. I also realized that I might not be able to be there always, considering my situation. I suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to protect her. I started working on a program, planning on a form of communication in case something unexpected happens and I can't communicate with her. 

When I found out about the news of the dead body in the forest, I knew that I had to immediately tell her. While I'm quite sure that it cannot be Hannah, there's no telling when this information might be relevant later. 

I was a bit surprised when she told me that she already knew about it. She beat me to a piece of information. What are the chances of that? It looks like she has already earned the trust of the group - well, one of their members at the very least, to be privy to such a thing. She never fails to amaze me. 

  
  


**Now you need to try to deepen your relationship further, so you can get more information.**

_ You are truly odd _ .

  
  


I should have been used to it by now - to be called odd, different. The negative connotation shouldn't have bothered me, but with her it felt like an itch that demands to be scratched. I retorted. 

  
  


**You don't have to like me.**

_ It doesn't mean that I don't like you. _ ****

I glanced at the screen as I type, doing a double take when I read her message. I paused, carefully reading that sentence again. 

_ So she likes me?  _ I wondered as I leaned on my seat, feeling the heat rush to my cheeks that had nothing to do with the weather.

The program that I was preparing on the other monitor beeped, alerting me of its completion, and that brought me back to reality. I smirked, shaking my head to rid myself of the thought. Again, it's just a distraction. It will get us nowhere.

I prepared the cat picture as I typed a message for her. Hopefully, by the time that it's needed, she'll be able to get the hint. 

  
  


**One more thing.**

**About the last picture you sent me.**

**Did you get it from Hannah's cloud?**

_ Is there something wrong with it?  _

  
  


Why is it that she always knows the right questions to ask? I replied before I got distracted with thoughts of her again. 

**Nevermind. Everything is fine.**

  
  


For now. Let's hope it remains that way. 

************

She sent me two more pictures after that conversation, the first one a blurry picture - a prescription of sorts, which I told her that I will fix. That's what I was doing when an interesting conversation between Richy and Jessy came up on the monitor. I decided to read it. 

  
  


_ You told her about this first?  _

_ Yeah, I did.  _

_ She was on top of my list. _

_ You should be more careful.  _

  
  


I don't understand Richy's motives. He convinces her to stay and help them find Hannah, then he doubts her the next minute. It is clear to see that she just wants to help. His behavior annoys me. 

**How annoying.**

  
  


I said in plain terms. She must also feel the same. 

  
  


_ You were reading the messages??  _

  
  


I brought a palm to my face in disbelief. Of all the things she could worry about, she chooses to worry about me reading the messages. I still replied on the affirmative, emphasizing that I'm only reading the INTERESTING ones.

  
  


**Are you judging me right now?**

_ A little bit 🙄 _

  
  


It's hard to see how her mind works. Fascinating but also frustrating at times. I reminded her of our objective of finding Hannah, just so she knows that she has nothing to worry about. 

When I asked her what she thinks Richy is talking about, she didn't even pay more thought to it, saying that she never even talked to him before. Out of the blue, she asks me this. 

  
  


_ Do you trust me?  _

  
  


See? She's not worried about Richy not trusting her, she's more concerned of me not trusting her. I decided to ease her worries. 

  
  


**Would I have given you access to Hannah’s cloud if I didn't?**

_ But you don't know me like that.  _

**Maybe Jessy isn't the only person who felt an immediate connection with you.**

_ Is that a compliment?  _

**It is.**

**I will talk to you later.**

  
  


That should make her feel relieved, shouldn't it? 


	7. Chapter 7

On our own, we both have been busy finding clues about Hannah's disappearance - her in Hannah's cloud and I on the chatters of the group. From the last time we spoke she sent me two more images from Hannah's cloud - some kind of hole or cave in the middle of the forest, and a blurry document that seems to be signed. She also found a mysterious document that I can't understand.

I started working on the picture and found out that it is a prescription for a drug named _SSRI._ What we don't understand is why Hannah would keep such information on her cloud.

Hannah never mentioned that she is taking this drug, so it surprised me when we found out about it. And confused me, too. It just didn't seem like her.

I was doing some research when I saw her call with Cleo. She went to Hannah's house without permission? That's incredibly risky. But at the same time, we now knew that Thomas was in her apartment, too.

It never occurred to me that Cleo was feeling uncomfortable during her conversation with Thomas until she said so. I'm really glad I can rely on her to notice these things. Also, it's nice to find somebody who can understand your flaws.

We were discussing Hannah's antidepressant medication when she told me that we should consider that Hannah may have harmed herself. I didn't want to accept it because it isn't in Hannah's character.

She didn't want to drop the issue, so I had to respond. 

  
  


**What are you getting at?**

**Should we give up searching for Hannah because we believe she may have harmed herself?**

_Nonsense. But we shouldn't dismiss it either._

**Let's change the subject.**

_No, this is really important to me._

_I'm just trying to protect you._

  
  


Protect me from what? I can deal with anything, and I don't think she'll find something she can protect me from. 

  
  


**And now let's change the subject.**

  
  


If she's being stubborn, then so am I. It took her a moment before she replied, asking about Poke's number. I'm still working on it, so I told her I need more time. We discussed the mysterious document she found, and I can't help but notice that her replies were much shorter than before, and she wasn't using any of the emojis that she keeps using. 

After getting most of the points covered, I asked her if she found out something else. She told me that there is a clue that points to one of the Duskwood legends. 

I was taken aback by that. Seriously, a children's story? I did ask her still. Every information counts. 

  
  


**Do you want to tell me about it?**

_Once the right time has come._

**_Are you mocking me right now?_**

****

_Now you know how I always feel._

  
  


That was cruel, but very perceptive of her. She might've been pissed off with the argument we had before, but she also knew that I wouldn't be able to get emotions through text messages, so she decided to use my words back at me. I had to laugh. 

  
  


**But I guess I deserve the fact that you are making me wait to hear your news.**

_No, I'm not that mean_ 😉

The emojis are back. I guess she isn't pissed off with me anymore. That's a relief.

She proceeded to tell me about the legend and how this Man Without A Face drags people who committed terrible sins to the forest and how Hannah was supposed to be one of his victims.

Legends and ghost stories. What would a town be without them?


	8. Chapter 8

I must admit I can’t get her out of my head. Yes, I know it shouldn’t happen. It’s too dangerous. Not only for me, but much more for her. That didn’t stop my brain from wondering what she’s doing at the moment. What does she think about all of these? What’s going on in her mind? Does she also wonder who I am?

My thoughts of her were interrupted when a message popped up on the screen. I had to laugh at that. It should be my thoughts of her that’s interrupting the work we’re doing, but instead, it’s the work that we’re doing that’s interrupting my thoughts of her. It’s a guilty pleasure - it doesn’t feel right, but it feels good, so I do it anyway. Does that seem selfish of me?

It wasn’t that long from our last conversation when she found out another note from Hannah’s cloud. This time, the document seems easier to understand - like Hannah is describing an event that happened. Though there are details in the document that are still unclear, I told her that it’s a great find.

I thought of trying something new with her. I took the document she found and marked certain points that I find significant and asked her to make her own notes on it so I can compare them with mine. It made me excited when she found the idea worthwhile and agreed to do it.

**Let me take a look at your notes…**

**Mind-blowing. You literally have the exact same notes as me.**

_Two peas in a pod_ 🙃

I can imagine her amusement echoed in mine, and it made me a little more assured that I was right about her. We summarized the clues we found, which led to this: Hannah and an unidentified male went to visit a family, who had a woman named Iris. Iris and Hannah talked about an event familiar to both of them, but Hannah was hoping to find out new information. Hannah feels very guilty towards the family.

She corrected me again when I missed the detail about the emerald-colored eyes, and I agreed. It seems that there is another unknown person with the same emerald-colored eyes as Iris. I praised her again for noticing it. I wonder if it’s too obvious now that I’m amazed by everything she does. Maybe I should stop telling her what good job it is that she’s doing?

**Very well. I think that was it for now.**

**Or is there anything else that we should talk about?**

_Tell me your name_ 🙂

Frankly, that made my heart skip a bit. She never asked me a direct question about myself, and out of the blue, she’s asking what my name is. I’m debating whether I should.

**My name?**

**Why would you care about my name?**

_Because you know mine?_

I smiled in defeat, her quick wit completely decimating all the reasons I was thinking of. Fair enough.

**My name is Jake.**

She replied after a while.

_Hello Jake_ 🙂

I know my name - I've seen and wrote it too many times. But seeing it from her made me like my name more. Believe me when I tell you, I grinned like an idiot after seeing that. 

That smile was short lived when I realized what I've done. 

**I'm getting careless. That's not good.**

_Doesn't it make you feel relieved?_

**It does, strangely enough.**

**At the same time it feels dangerous to open up to you.**

**There is way too much at stake for me.**

_You can trust me._

Should I risk it? 

**I want to trust you.**

**So now I'd like to find out more about you.**

That took her off guard. It took a while before she replied. 

_Okay, like what?_

I typed furiously on my keyboard before I lost my nerve. 

**Are you dating someone?**

The seconds it took for her to reply felt like an eternity. 

_No, I am not._

I grinned as I leaned into my chair, running a finger through my lips just thinking about the possibilities. She's unattached. That's great!

I didn't realize I hadn't replied yet when another message popped up on the screen. 

_You like me, don't you?_

**I…**

Why is it that she seems to know me more than I know my own mind? Has she bewitched me?

_I like getting you all worked up._ 😝

It should've been embarrassing not to find the words to say, but considering that she finds it all amusing, then I'm all for it. I like to make her happy. 

**Can't say I haven't noticed.**

**Talk to you later.**

I was smiling from ear to ear the whole conversation, feeling giddy and light.


	9. Chapter 9

Our last conversation has got me all fired up for some reason, I devoted most of my time pursuing our next lead - Poke. I’ve been trying to find out his number for some time now, but it seems that his phone is set on another setting that prevents me from sending him a message. I only just realized that his settings are the same as mine - automatically rejecting chat inquiries. The only way we can talk to him is through a phone call. But there’s a catch - while phone calls would give us more information that is lost in a text message, there is a good chance of her getting caught in a lie.

When I told her this she didn’t seem too happy about it, but we’ve got no other choice. I tried to boost her confidence by telling her that I believe she’ll be able to swing it, and while I meant what I said, there’s still a chance that she’ll get caught lying.

It didn’t take her a long time to get back to me after their conversation. My stomach knotted in anxiety.

_That was so funny just now_

**?**

_I am surprised he can even write_ 😅

I smirked at her message, the tension in me easing slowly. I have been worried for no reason. I should have known that she can handle this. 

**Poor you.**

**But I suppose that means you**

**were able to find out what he’s selling?**

_Absolutely_

She then sent me an image of what looks like an advertisement for locksmith services. We concluded that Thomas asked Dan to buy him a key from Poke so that he can get into Hannah's apartment. The question now is what Dan had asked Thomas for him to owe a favor. Further, Thomas took something from Hannah's apartment. Whatever that is must be important and related to her disappearance. I asked her to be more careful around Thomas for now. 

After some time she found another image from Hannah's cloud - a picture of a raven etched into the bark of a wood. I figured it would make us more efficient if I let her do her own digging for information, so I let her handle that image on her own.

********

After going through my usual routine of checking for bugs in the system that I was working on, I checked the group chat and found a curious exchange between her and Dan. It turned out that Hannah has a bracelet containing the initials J. H., and that it was the object that Thomas took from Hannah's apartment.

We were discussing her finding when she suddenly stopped responding. Apparently someone called her but didn't say anything. I started looking into the calls into her phone, waiting. 

I told her that there's only one person within Hannah's circle of friends matching those initials - Jessica Hawkins.

Before we can even discuss more about it, someone called her again, showing Cleo jogging in the forest.

** I warned you to stay out of this, but you didn't listen! You think this is all just a game, don't you??  **

I told her that I saw the video, too and she became worried for Cleo even more. She texted her, but Cleo didn't respond. She then asked me to do something about it, too. 

I tried recalling what I saw and noticed that the caller was hiding from Cleo, indicating that he didn't want to be found out. Maybe Cleo would recognize him if he did? My thoughts were interrupted when I saw her message. 

_Jake??_

**I have to ask you for a very important favor.**

**I know what I am about to ask you for**

**is highly unusual and that your**

**decision is going to have serious**

**consequences for you.**

**But you can't tell anyone about this video.**

I told her that the kidnapper's only intention is to scare her, and that if we let the others know about the video, they might misinterpret the actions of the kidnapper. 

_The only one who misinterprets this is you!_

**Please, listen to me.**

**I can understand that this call upset you.**

**But do keep in mind, it's all**

**about finding Hannah!**

**And for that we need the others.**

_Are you even listening to yourself?!_

**Please.**

**Trust me.**

I understand that this decision is difficult for her to make, but I have no other way of making her see sense. It took quite a while before the three dots in my screen moved again, making me anxious. 

_I trust you._

I released the breath I was holding as I typed my next message. 

**Thank you.**

**You made the right decision.**

_If something happens to Cleo and the others_

_because of that…_

**That will not happen.**

As much as I wanted to reassure her that nothing's going to happen, it's very hard to communicate everything through text. I still feel the hesitation and worry in her messages, so I asked her to analyze the call with me so she can understand everything.

In the end, we both agreed that the caller only wanted to threaten her, and there seems to be a line that he will not cross. We need to work faster if we're going to find Hannah. 

**All that seems as if it's not over.**

**Hannah is alive.**

**She's just not supposed to be found.**


	10. Chapter 10

The kidnapper hasn't sent a new threat after Cleo's video. I guessed he's waiting for her to make her move, thinking that this threat will make everybody scared and abandon their plans of looking for Hannah. 

The system I've been working on is still not working properly, and I can't find the root or the syntax that's causing it. I've already strained my eyes re-writing portions of the codes, but nothing seems to be working. 

I leaned on my chair, closing my eyes and feeling the stinging sensation on it, when my notifications flooded with messages from the group. 

**_No Cleo, it's not fine! This is messed up!_ **

**_You were in danger and she knew about it, but didn't say anything!_ **

_I didn't mean any harm…_

**_I can't believe that you guys are texting with her._ 🤦**

As it appears, when the kidnapper failed to threaten her with the video, he sent it to Cleo instead. Now Lilly is reprimanding her for not telling everyone about the threat immediately.

Thankfully the group saw the video as a challenge rather than a threat. It seems that the kidnapper will have a hard time with this group. They will not back down that easily. 

But things are only starting to go downhill from here. 

Richy was marked with the sign of the raven and now the group knows about this Man without a Face. It doesn't help that Lilly seems threatened by it, and she's blaming it all on her. This is not good. 

_**Cleo was in danger because of you. The threat from this lunatic was geared towards you and you alone.** _

_He was always going to send the video to everyone sooner or later_

**_I don't want her to be part of this group anymore._ **

**_If she doesn't leave this group it is going to get worse!_ **

What are you doing, Lilly? She's here for a reason, and until we find that out, she should stay with the group!

I rolled the chair closer to the computer and started working. I remembered that I installed a bug on their phones when I started talking with them. That bug gave me access to their private conversations and calls, and basically their phones. 

When Jessy and Cleo tied against Thomas and Lilly on the vote, I knew I had to intervene before it gets worse. 

**You are making a big mistake with this vote. Hannah disappears and the only thing that you have is the cellphone number she sent. The person behind this number is an important piece of the puzzle in the search. There is no way that I am going to accept the fact that you are looking to remove this important puzzle piece.**

**Beware that all of your digital activities are monitored and recorded by me. Therefore, you should focus on finding out the identity of the real perpetrator instead of wasting our time.**

**In order to find Hannah. You will need us both.**

**Don't forget that.**

Richy was the first one to react. 

**_… I don't have to ask if you just saw this right now, do I?_ 😶**

_I didn't tell him to do that_ 😳

Of course, she didn't. I will not let them bully her out of the group. After some time, she sent me a message. 

_That was pretty impressive just now_

Out of all the things I've done, that was only the one she found impressive. I shook my head in disbelief and smirked. She is really something else. I started typing on my phone with a smug smile on my face. 

**;)**

************

After things calmed down a bit I asked her to confront Jessica about the bracelet. Naturally, Jessica denied having such an accessory. That has put another dead end to our investigation. 

Then I realized I have another lead, but it will take me a while to get information from it. Maybe I should let her help me? 

**I am currently following another lead, which requires some preparations on my part.**

**As soon as I will have made these preparations, I will be in need of your help.**

_Oh, what is this about?_

That seems to quip her interest. 

**Let's just say**

**I am inviting you to step into my world in a way.**


	11. Chapter 11

Hacking into the computer of Hannah’s doctor is not easy. First, I had to find a way to get his IP address, and he isn't a very technologically-inclined person. After searching for some time, I found out that he likes to hike, so I made this pop-up ad for a fake travel agency to get his interest. Once he clicked on it I was immediately connected to his I.P address, and ultimately his computer. There's just one problem - his files are password protected. 

Another problem is that the kidnapper called her from the forest again. It seems that he is copying this Legend of the Man Without a Face - to what purpose, we don't know yet.

We were discussing the kidnapper's call when I remembered Dr. Barret's computer. 

**Something else: I need your help.**

I felt like I had to distract her from the kidnapper's threats so I asked for her assistance - I want to know how skilled she is. 

_Did you make certain preparations?_

**Yes, I did.**

**It appears that Hannah went to see a certain Dr. Barret.**

**I want you to find out the password to his computer for me.**

If there's something I learned about people, it's that they always like to connect something to good memories - they even use these memories as passwords. Name of their favorite pet, a birthday, anniversary. 

But the problem is they're also openly sharing this information for the world to see. And like I said before, information is gold - in the wrong hands, it can unmake a person. 

After I explained this to her, I asked her to start looking at Dr. Barret's social media accounts for any clue. 

**Very well.**

**Text me the password as soon as you figure it out.**

It didn't take her long to respond with the password. 

**Wait, let me try it.**

**Yes! it worked!**

_Wohooo_ 🥳

Did I ever tell you how amazing she is? I already did? Well, I am telling you again. It felt like I've found the perfect partner. 

**You did a really good job.**

**I thank you for your help.**

_We are an awesome team_

**Yes, I feel the same way.**

I wanted to talk to her more, but when I think of things to talk about, I always come up empty handed.

**Anyway.**

**So then I better go and take care of the doctor's computer now.**

_I am going to wait for news from you._

I don't understand why but I immediately went offline after that. I didn't want it to look like I'm waiting for something - and she is very good at noticing those kinds of things even in a text message.

For now, let's see what I can find in this computer. 

************

The moment I found the file I immediately sent her a text to let her know about my find. It turns out that Hannah was being stalked and she told her doctor about it once before. Hannah claims that this stalker had something to do with the incident back then with a certain Jennifer and another child. This incident weighed heavily on Hannah's mind, to the point where she felt she had to consult a psychiatrist.

This file recording gave us a lot of information, indeed. Now we have to find out who the other child was and who was Jennifer. 

**You can relax a bit for now. I have asked a lot from you recently.**

She asked me when I last slept, and to be honest, I can't even remember a time when I slept soundly. I was thinking hard about it when she started sending a stream of messages. 

_I would like to talk to you_

_I am making you uncomfortable sometimes_

_Do you want to tell me something?_

_You mean a lot to me_

I stared at my computer and took a deep breath. I knew this day would come - the time where we have to address these feelings that refuse to be repressed.

Why is it that we always want the things we can't have? Frankly, it's frustrating and confusing me at the same time. 

There's only one thing I know for sure. That she has occupied a special place in my mind. 

**Do you think I don't feel the same?**

**You are so mysterious but at the same time I feel like we have known each other for a long time.**

**Throughout the day I think about you a lot more than I would like. And I don't even know you.**

**I open up to you, even though I usually never give anyone any information about myself.**

**My behavior towards you just doesn't make sense.**

Now she knows how I truly feel. 

_Why are you trying to fight this?_

It was then that I realized that maybe she's still unaware of how great of a danger it is for her to put up with me. I am not good for her. Not right now. Not in this situation.

**Because it isn't right!**

**And it's dangerous.**

**For me just as much as for you.**

**I am sorry.**

I went offline immediately after that. To be honest, I was afraid of what she's going to say next. But now I hope she understands why this is not good for the both of us. I hate to disappoint her by saying those words, but they're the truth.

As long as she's associating with me, she will never be safe. 


	12. Chapter 12

There is a saying that goes like, "out of sight, out of mind". I decided to follow that advice and stayed away from the chat after our last talk. I refocused my attention in finding other leads and constantly monitoring for bugs and traces of anyone who's been trying to follow me. 

That's why I was surprised when there has been an increase in data traffic to my connection. I can't pinpoint where it was coming from exactly, but it looks totally random.

I glanced into my other monitor, the one where I usually open the chat interface, and my thoughts drifted to her direction once again. I know I was the one that stopped talking to her, thinking it would be easier to forget it all, but alas, I was wrong. The more I stay away from her, the more I need to be near her. 

I opened my messenger and there were three unopened messages. 

_ Jake?  _

_ Call me as soon as you can _

_ I need your help!  _

As soon as I saw it, I sent her a message and she replied instantaneously.

_ I am glad to see you!  _

**What happened?**

_ Lilly published a video _

_ Supposedly the two of us are behind of it all _

_ Now everyone believes it _

_ I am even being contacted by angry strangers _

So that caused the blip on my radar. I should have known that Lilly will do something like this. She's scared, just like the rest of them. 

**I am going to take care of it.**

I opened a window on the other monitor and looked for the video in question.

_ Hello, my name is Lilly Donfort. The missing girl, Hannah Donfort, is my sister, and I know who's behind her disappearance. _

_ Sometime ago my sister sent us a cellphone number. At that point, she had already been gone missing. In the meantime, the person this number belongs to infiltrated our circle of friends in order to obtain information about Hannah, her friends and my family. _

_ This person has the help of an unknown man. This man has illegal access to my sister's private data, spied on us, and even threatened us on multiple occasions. I'm really sure that these two people are the real perpetrators. Therefore, it seems also likely that they are behind the dead body that has recently been found in Duskwood. _

_ I'm in possession of both cell phone numbers, as well as personal information and I'm prepared to hand this over to anyone who's willing to help. _

_ Please, I want my sister back. Help me find Hannah and bring these two kidnappers to justice.  _

Damn, it is a whole lot messier than I thought. I checked for any attacks to my system as I opened the messenger again to send Lilly a message. 

**You shouldn't have done that.**

**You are putting her in great danger.**

**Please take the video down and I will explain.**

How about you explain it now? What is your connection to Hannah? 

Moment of truth, I guess. 

**I am Hannah's half-brother.**

**I am your half-brother, Lilly.**

I don't believe you.

Do you have proof? 

**You asked for the truth.**

**And this is not that easy to explain.**

**Now, take the video down.**

**Please.**

It looked like Lilly was still about to say something but after a while, the three dots on the messenger stopped moving. As I waited for her response, I opened Hannah's e-mail and found our correspondences on her archive. I deleted all of them immediately, annoyed at myself for not checking everything thoroughly. 

After some time Lilly sent me a response. 

I deleted the video

I am giving you time to show me proof. 

If not then it's going to get much worse. 

**Thank you, Lilly.**

Lilly went offline after that. After checking that everything was okay, I started to update her on my progress. 

**I took care of it.**

_ Thanks  _ 🙂

_ Do I even want to know how you got it done?  _

**I am not quite sure what you mean by that.**

_ It means : Please don't explain to me how to hack into a PC _

**Oh, okay. No, I didn't remove the video myself.**

**I talked to her.**

Hannah's friends must've gotten into her, for her response seemed like she didn't believe a word I said. I told her that I am telling the truth, and one day, I am going to tell her that, too. Just, not today. 

_ No, it has to be now _

_ You owe me that _

I leaned on my chair as I contemplated her message. If I tell her the truth now, I will risk another person knowing about me. But if I don't, she might not trust me anymore. Either fate doesn't benefit me, but I can't risk losing her.

**I am wanted by the government.**

I sat on the edge of my chair, waiting for her response. 

_ Is this in any way related to Hannah? _

**No, it's not. That's my own personal thing.**

**But I want to make sure you understand my motives at least a little bit.**

**I meddled with some things that were never supposed to get out into the public.**

_ Why haven't you ever told me?  _

**Because I am afraid you would stop trusting me.**

_ That's a bit ironic, don't you think?  _

_ Because you are so trustworthy when it comes to everything else.  _ 😅

I took a big sigh of relief, thankful that she still trusts me. I was pretty sure that she would stop talking to me once she found out the truth, but again, she surprised me with her responses.

**As much as I regret it, I will now have to make some arrangements to ensure my safety first.**

**You might be on your own for some time.**

_You know I've_ _got this._

**Yes. I know.**

**You've shown it to me more than once.**

Things are starting to get too serious, so I decided to lighten it up a bit. 

**And something good comes out of this whole thing:**

**I won't be able to read your private chats anymore.**

_ I had already gotten used to that.  _

My other monitor started to flood with warning notifications. It seems that they have heard about the video and are trying to attack my system with brute force. I reminded her of our last lead and asked her to pick from Hannah's friends and ask them about Jennifer, keeping in mind that she must trust this person wholeheartedly.

**I have to go now.**

**But I am going to contact you as soon as I can.**

I was about to go offline when she responded. 

_ Hey Jake?  _

**_Yes?_ **

_ Thank you _

_ For confiding in me despite all of this. _

I stared at that message, grateful that she trusts me as much as I trust her.

**Thank you for never making me regret** **confiding in you.**


End file.
